Press

Press in the News

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May 1, 1980 Reader's Digest: Scientology: Anatomy of a Frightening Cult Scientology is one of the oldest, wealthiest -- and most dangerous -- of the major "new religions" or cults operating in America today. Some of its fanatic operatives have engaged in burglary, espionage, kidnapping and smear campaigns to further their goals. Press
April 22, 1980 Scientologists Tried To Silence Enemies The Las Vegas Church of Scientology attempted to silence its enemies and critics in Nevada by waging propaganda and espionage campaigns against Las Vegas law-enforcement and business agencies. Documents seized from the church by the FBI reveal the church on a national scale conspired to steal grand jury transcripts, attempted to infiltrate the CIA, and launched a myriad of dirty tricks against public officials. crimes, harassment, Las Vegas, Press, Scientology and Society
April 14, 1980 Scientology Suit Says Secret Spa Was Labor Camp A disillusioned former official of the Church of Scientology says sect founder L. Ron Hubbard has been secretly running the organization from a spa 80 miles east of Los Angeles. Sylvana Garritano, 25, described the Scientology enclave as "part insane asylum, part forced labor camp" ruled by the 69-year-old Hubbard and a dozen teen-age servants called "Commodore Messengers." false imprisonment, Hemet, L. Ron Hubbard, Press
April 11, 1980 Church Papers Allowed In Suit A Superior Court judge refused to prevent three former members of the Church of Scientology from using church documents as part of their damage suits against the church. He also ordered that the three large cartons of papers and records be impounded until a suit by church officials seeking return of the documents is tried. Boston, MA, lawsuits, Michael Flynn, Press
January 25, 1980 The Scientology Papers: Files Show Spy Reported Woman's Intimate Words In one file was a letter dated June, 1974, from Dick Weigand to Henning Heldt, two of the leaders sentenced last month to four years in prison. Included in a review of an operative's past activities for the cult was the observation: Conspired to entrap Mrs. Lovely (code name for Miss Cooper) into being arrested for a felony which she did not commit. She was arraigned for the crime. crimes, harassment, Paulette Cooper, Press
January 24, 1980 The Scientology Papers: Hubbard Still Gave Orders, Records Show L. Ron Hubbard, the former science fiction writer who publicly resigned in 1966 from leadership of the Church of Scientology, continued to give orders to its leaders into 1977, a Washington court has been told. Evidence obtained in 1977 in raids on U. S offices of the cult by the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed there was a detailed program to cover up Mr. Hubbard's involvement in the leadership of Scientology. Called Operation Bulldozer Leak, it was part of the documentary evidence filed by federal prosecutors with the U. S. District Court that last month gave long prison terms to Mr. Hubbard's wife and eight other Scientology leaders for their roles in conspiracies to steal government documents and to obstruct justice by kidnapping an informer. The nine are free pending an appeal of the validity of some of the evidence. Guardian Office, L. Ron Hubbard, Press
January 23, 1980 The Scientology Papers: Cult Harassment, Spying In Canada Documented New light has been shed on the Canadian operations of the controversial Church of Scientology by files made public by a U. S. District Court in Washington. The evidence refutes denials by Toronto cult leaders of information I reported more than five years ago in a series of articles based on internal cult documents and interviews with defectors. Other accounts since then of clandestine operations by the cult in Canada are also supported by the files, submitted in court after being seized in Los Angeles and Washington as part of a 2 1/2-year investigation by U. S. authorities. The trial resulted in jail sentences for nine leading U. S. Scientologists, who are out on bail pending another of many attempts to have documentary evidence used in the case ruled illegal. Canada, crimes, Guardian Office, Kathy Feshbach, Press
January 23, 1980 2 Leaders In Britain Still To Face U.S Court In Conspiracy Case Testimony before a U. S. District Court in Washington said FBI raids on offices of the Church of Scientology in 1977 were specifically in search of evidence of conspiracies to steal government documents and obstruct justice. The FBI agents found it, the court was told. Much of the evidence was in the reports of the cult's spies planted in jobs in strategic offices, and in the files that they stole. Thousands of seized documents that helped convict nine U. S. Scientologists named as conspirators also gave the court evidence of other crimes and clandestine activities. Canada, crimes, Guardian Office, Kathy Feshbach, Press
January 22, 1980 Secret Ontario Documents Found in U.S. Cult's Files Confidential documents from various Ontario Government offices including an attorney-general's communications about police intelligence operations have been found in U. S. Church of Scientology files. The documents were part of the evidence submitted by federal attorneys in the Washington prosecution of U. S. leaders of the cult on charges of conspiring to steal government documents and obstruct justice by coverups and by kidnapping an informer. crimes, Guardian Office, Press, Toronto
January 22, 1980 Drop Action Against 5 Albertans The Church of Scientology yesterday proposed to discontinue a lawsuit against five of eight Albertans it says conspired to interfere with and defame the organization. The action follows 3 1/2 years of pre-trial applications involving seven Calgarians and an Edmontonian as the defendants and three Scientology missions in the province. A lawyer for the church refused to say why the action was initiated less than a month before the Feb. 11 trial date. But he ruled out speculation that the church was backing down because it has failed to produce financial records the lawyer for the Calgary defendants says are needed to prepare his clients' defence. Calgary, finances, lawsuits, Press

Press in the News

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May 12, 2006 Polish Scientologists Ordered to Remove Tents When Scientology erected tents in Warsaw's city center to attract new members, city officials ordered them taken down. Press
September 30, 1996 Patrice Vic Trial Begins - Scientology Executive Charged with Manslaughter Trial begins in the death of Patrice Vic. Scientology executive Jean-Jacques Mazier is charged with manslaughter, and 22 other Scientologists also face charges. crimes, deaths, France, Patrice Vic, Press